This invention relates to magnetic record reproducing apparatus, and more particularly to a tape guide moving mechanism which defines a predetermined running path of the magnetic tape being drawn out of the cassette.
In general, there has been an increasing number of tape guides for loading in design employed in such apparatus and the like e.g. typically in the case of a small-diameter cylinder system in common use for a camera with a video tape recorder (or what is often called the Video Camera Recorder) or a wide-angle winding system in an 8 mm video system all of which have recently been developed. Moreover, it should be noted that continuous efforts have been made in the art for further smoothing of the tape surface and for reducing tape thickness with a view toward attaining improvements on packing density and prolongation of recording time.
In consequence, it becomes quite necessary, for reduction of undesirable forces acting against the magnetic tape, to reduce a winding angle applied to each tape guide as much as possible and avoid occurrence of any abrupt directional change of the tape movement. This results, therefore, in an increasing number of tape guides, which in turn may complicate the loading mechanism for tape guide. As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 160362/80, for example, there has been suggested a conventional loading mechanism a structure of a plurality of rotating rings in combination. In such structure, there involves the necessity to effect the control of the running direction and height of each tape guide so as to prevent the tape from being acted on by any excessive deforming forces, since during the loading operation, the tape is to be wound on each one of the tape guides coming up alternately. Thus, attainment of attitude control for each tape guide will become significantly difficult particularly if the number of tape guides moving when loading is increased. This may be the case especially where the apparatus is to be of compact size. Further there may involve the need in design of a layered arrangement of rotating rings, which also complicates the mechanism and renders it bulky. These problems apparently are obstacles in providing apparatus with compactness in size and due reliabilities in operation.